The day got away from me yesterday but i don't think it's ever too late to relive the magic of Monday.So here we go....
First off - what a game! 9PM under the lights at 125th street, the Dreams were without some key pieces. Missing the mound presence of BP, the chatter of Jerry, the steadiness of Jeff and the pop of Seltz, SD appeared undermanned. But unlike a certain NY baseball team that uses their missing "core" as an excuse, the Dreams suited up 10 and rallied to provide their erstwhile teammates with good news and sweet dreams before kissing their babies and turning in for the night. This was a good bedtime story for sure - something fairy tales are made of ....A compelling tale and a happy ending. (spoiler alert) He wasn't a frog before, but a line shot and a kiss from the turf made Old Man River the prince at the end of this storybook ending.
So how did the boys in blue secure their 3rd win in a row? Eight Dreams were "IN" for this late night matchup (nice effort by all, especially the Jersey guys) and 2 other players proudly donned the Shattered Dreams blue to round out the squad. Enter Marc, who responded to the call and slipped right into the OF. He's heard tales of SD and on the AM of the game reiterated his excitement at playing for this storied franchise. Once again, it's the patch on the front of the jersey that matters and Marc wore it well. And how about our pitcher? Missing the only 3 players to pitch for SD in the last several years, we were without a hurler. Well....from out in LF all i could see was a fiery right hander from Brooklyn, whipping in strikes and commanding the mound. A huge strikeout in the 6th, effectively took the wind out of Client #9 and sealed the victory. A callup from Brooklyn, it could've been BP or was it our very own Nelson Figueroa? Either way, it was awesome to see and we didn't miss a beat. It will be great to have Brian back, but Harris did a tremendous job of maintaining this team's low ERA. Outstanding. Thanks fellas!
Once again, the bats were quiet this week, as we scored only one run on 4 hits through the first 5 innings. Who didn't think "Here we go again..."? However, there were a few bright spots offensively. Collins continues to lace the ball and a few finally fell as he had 2 hits on Monday. Jay, Hans and Jeff also reached base twice on a combo of pokes, walks and errors (er..i mean hits). There were two other huge hits but we'll get to that in a moment...
The key to SD this year has been pitching and defense and Monday night was no exception. We have played tight D and kept the games close. If we were a hockey team, we'd be the NJ Devils and this week our Marty Brodeurs would be Ian and Jay at the corners, snagging everything that came near them gloveside. "shot, save and a beauty"....And while we haven't ripped the cover off the ball, we've stayed in games and have been opportunistic - capitalizing on big hits and key misplays by our opponents. We're not the '82 Mets, but dare i say our slogan should be "The Magic is Back?".
Down 4-1, with Client's pitcher finding his groove, we hit the 6th inning. It started innocently, with a pop up to 1B by Jeff that was dropped by Kevin Love (for those of you not at the game - their 1B was a big white guy in a UCLA jersey). A fielder's choice was followed by a rip by Collins and then a clutch 2RBI shot by Rohin to make this a 4-3 game. And for me, that is the turning point of the game. The pitcher started to get rattled, frustrated and now - with the tying run aboard, I think we all had a hunch that the tide might have turned. Ian was lifted for a PR and after Jay reached on another drop by Client 9, the wheels had come off our opponents' wagon. Having an inning snowball on you is one of the worst things to be a part of but watching another team completely unravel is exhilarating. With two runners on, Client #9 imploded. Who was the villain in this story? Who cares. The catcher ripped off his mask and walked off the field. While the pitcher lost his mind, pounding his glove and screaming at his teammates, I lost my voice screaming and clapping from 2B. Our dugout was clamoring and their infield converged on the mound trying to compose themselves. All the while - Hans was waiting patiently for his 4 balls to load the bases...
Enter - Duff. First pitch swinging, and a line drive to the outfield that the CF tried to scoop. A little help from a short hop on the turf and the ball rolled downtown. Off to the races and listen to that hooting and hollering from the dugout.....Not sure if i've ever seen Mike run so fast, but i am sure that this was Duff's first Grand Slam since a late night Denny's run in Binghamton. Unlike a Moon Over MiHammy, this slam felt good even hours after he hit it! Mike continues his clutch hitting and magical season, so, Old Man - enjoy splitting that virtual gator with Harris. Well done.
"You guys have a great team here" - Harris
"Great F'in Game, Gentleman" - Ian
"Damn I feel good. I love winning" - Jeff D
"It's honor to play with Shattered Dreams" - Marc
"Is there a Yankee game tonight? I wonder what traffic will be like" - Mike
"How about that Duff" - Collins
I think those quotes say it all.
We clearly haven't hit our offensive stride yet, but just wait until we do. Next game on the schedule is for 7/17 but we are trying to confirm - as it looks like half of the team may be missing for that one. Stay tuned...In the meantime, savor the victory and embrace the magic. As always..
SD4L
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